Wire-chain-making machine



A. BERG.

WIRE CHAIN MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. 1921.

1,438,474, Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

4 SHEET\SSHEET 1.

i3 ATTOR/VE y A. BERG. WIRE CHAIN MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. 1921.

Patented Dec. 12,1922.

A. BERG. WIRE CHAIN MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. 1921.

Patented Dec.12,192 2.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- g am/m A. BERG. WIRE CHAIN MAKING MACHINE-4 APPLICATION FILED JAN. r9, 1921.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented ii ee. 12, 19221" Annnnw Bane, or narnenron'r, connnorrour.

WIRE-CHAIhT-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed January 19, 1921. Serial N0. 488,284I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ANDREW Brno, citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and Eitate of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VJirc-Chain-hlaking Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wire chain making machines, and is an improvement on the manner of forming the links as set forth in my former patent of October 23, 191?, No. 1,244,448.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein the figures and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the machine and broken view of one of the cams and feed wire:

Figure 2 is a view of the machine looking in the direction of arrow a, Figure 1:

Figure 8 is a view of the machine looking in the direction of arrow 6, Figure 1:

Figure 1 is a broken view of the upper surface of the machine bed, detail plan view of the link forming mandrel and its reciprocating carrier, broken view of the carrier actuating levenand broken view of the link pivotally connected to the wire gripping lever:

Figure 5 is a broken view of the machine bed, enlarged detail view of the link man'- drel, its carrier, its actuating lever, wire gripper and its lever, broken view of the gripper operating lever, all in normal link forming positionr Figure 6 is aview of the same operative elements shown in Figure 5 but in a re treated position:

Figure 7 is an enlarged broken view or the several elements connected with the link forming mechanism in readiness to operate on an advanced section of the feed wire:

Figure 8 is an enlarged broken view of the link carrier jaws and its reciprocating arhorz Figure 9 is, an enlarged broken view of the link forming elements showing wire gripper engaged with the wire and the link carrier in link forming position: i Figure 10 is an enlarged broken view of the link forming elements showing theinbility to embrace and itial link bending tools advanced togive the initial bendto the link about the mandrel, and the linkcarrying jaws holding a'pre viously formed linkagainst the mandrel i Figure 11 is an enlarged broken view of the link forming elements showing the initial link bending tools and link carrying jaws in retreated positions, and the link closers in operative position? Figure 12 is an enlarged broken view of the wire gripper and initial link bending tools in retreatedposition, and the link carrying jaws advanced and embracing a recently formed link: i

Figure 13 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view of the arbor for the link carr'y- ,in'g jaws meshing with the segment lever and broken view of 'thelever for actuating the segment lever. y

1 represents the machine bed kwith the principal portion of its upper surface cov ered by the plate 2. 3 is the driving shatt journaled in the hangers 4, Figure 2. This shaft'carries the driving pulley '5 and the pinion 6 meshing with the large gear 7 on the cam shaft 8, Figure 1, journaled in the boxes 9. On this shaft. are mounted the cams 10, 11, 12, 13, 1e, and 15. The shaft 16is journaled in the boxes 17, 18, and it carries the cams 19, 20, and pinion 21, Figure 2, and is rotatably connected to the shaft 8 through the medium of the bevel gears 22, 28; 24, Figure 8, is an arbor having the link carrying jaws 25 'pivotally supported on the pins 26,v and 27, is a spring actuating these jaws to grip a link spring is inserted between that portion of the jaws located within the arbor 24 to give to the gripping of the jaws sufficient flexigrip alink when the This U-shaped arbor is advanced, and will readily let go of the link when the arbor retreats. The arbor 24;, Figure 13, is oscillated through the medium of its teeth. 245 meshing with the toothed segment lever 28 journa'led: on the pin 29 mounted in the housing 30, Figure 3.

81 is a standard having the box 32 in which is iournaled the short shaft carrying the gear 3 rotatably connected, Figure 2, with the shaft 16 through the medium of the pinion 21 onsaid shaft. The oscillation of the arbor 24E and'the'segment lever 28 is efi'ected by means of the lever 35, Figures 1 and 2 carrying the pin 86' and roll 37, the latter engag'mg the cam groove 38 formed the vertical face of the gear at, while the "inner end ofythe lever ,is pivotally supported on the pin 35 of the segment lever28,

The arbor 24 is also longitudinally reciprocated by means of the cam 20, lever 39, Figures 1 and 2, pi'votally mounted on the bracket 40 projecting from the machine bed. The inner end of the lever89 is engaged with the flanged collar {11 mounted on the projecting end of the arbor 24. The arbor teeth 24; Fig ure lii are ofsufficient length to insure engagement of the toothed segment 28 therewith during the longitudinal movements oiithe arhor. I

42, Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6, isthc linlrat'ernt inginandrel having a vertical" adjustment in the vertically operating mandrel carrier or slide a3. 'This carrier is reciprocally operated by meansointhe lever 4 1? whose inner end, Figure? 's pivotallyconnected ,to the li by thepm e5; ie s-2 an ile mi er and arriesx he :6 ad p o operate 'nthe groove 4L7 ofthe cam 19,.also shown in Figure 1; lever 44 is pivotally lPP0Bel Ov n-the shown dotted in Figure 2. i j 'I 1 ,5 isures L 6, s a l e the wire gripper 49 adapted to hold a section of-wire firmly against the 'nandrel 12 during the informing operation. The lower endoi this lever is pivotally connect e'dto the carrier A8, and its upper end to the link 50, which link is also pivoted to the arm 51,;see-also Figures 1 and. 3, of the rock shaft 52 jou-rnaled "in the standard This; rock shaft is {oscillated loy means of the apnea-Whose roll 55 oper, tes in the i es slfi of h' am Elie M te r pp r sfi mey tq v-m n i tegral pa th le- V 48- i i I 5:7, igure 1 :is a slide whose outer end carries the roll o8 engaging the cain to force the slide towards the former 4:2. while the roll 59 of the slideyoperating in the earn groove 60, formed in. the vertical face of the gear '7, serves to 'return the Sllflfi. The cain groove 60 is so shaped and tin d with respect to the shape and timing the cam 12 that the roll is always 7 Kept in close. contact with the cam. A spring cou d be employed to withdraw the slide 57 to maintain} said, contact but it would not he as; reliable. i j

I '61, 62, Figure 1, are the tools adapted to give the initial hen d to a link, and se- (wheel-t0: the slide-57 hy thescrews 63, M and; *eiadjusted thereon by the set scre 66, 6. 6. The linkhendingitool; 62 also serves as; a wire cutter will presently be descn edi 67, Figure 1. is a housing carrying the bushing, 6d adjustablt secured therein by the screw .692 llhis bushing, see also Figunesfl, 9, 10, 11, and. 12 servesas a guide for the feedi-w' s The-wireisfed through W llknnwn heirglln e hanisnta gsho e r ea-am by the screws 77, 78, and are adjusted on said slides by the screws 79,. 80. These linkclosing slides are "actuated to 'itIlQlflOHl the mandrel or dormer-4 2 through the inedi um'ot' the slides 81, 82, whoseouter en s carry the rollsl-l 8d, engagingthe cains i1 is, to eii ect an inward movement of the slides, and a return movement by n eans'of the rolls 85, 86, ,opemt'ng iL'QS DQC GlVQlY, in

the "reeves 87 88. of the cams- 10 1.4, The

slides 81, 82, are reciprocated int-hesame manner as heretofore described for slide The slides 81, 82, are provided withthe rack teeth 89, 90, meshing with the pinions 92, 91, journaled on the studs 93, 9e, teeth 95, 96,- are providedcn the slides75, 76, with which the pinions 92, 91, also engage. j v I.

lhe operation of automatically forming a linkand interlocking the same into a-previcuslyforined linkto form chain, is tollows:-

All of the operative tools for forming a link being in normal open position as shown in Figure 7 with the link-carrying jawsr25 holding the previously ferr ed 111111; ,see also l: re 8, the teed; wire 7.0- is automatically a ,vanced agai-nst the stop 71, Figure 7. as soon as the end Offfljlle wire has thus een advanced against the stop. 71 the lever l, l igures 2 and 5, will elevate the carrier from its retreated po ition SllOW'll'lIl F15);-

ure 6, to the position shown in lilgiire 5. During this upward n'lovernent of the 'carrier, thelever 528 will he brought from the Figiiiie 9. Y

i i hen the gripper 4- 9 and jaws 25 are in the position shown in. Figure 9, the initial bending tools 61, 62, Figure 10, are ad,- vaneed to sever the advanced portion 70 Figure 9, into a link Section and ill'shape it as shown in Figure 10 and will then retreat. I'Vhile the jaws 25 are still in the position as shown in Figure 10, the link closers 73, 74-, are advanced to engage the projecting ends 0, (Z, of the partially formed link and close them within the previously formed link A, Figure 11. The link closers 7 3, 74, will remain in this position until the spring actuated jaws have, in their retreat, released themselves from the previously formed link A, when the link closers 73, 74, will retreat into their normal open position, and permit the link A to drop. i

In the meantime, the retreating arbor 24: will partially rotate to bring the jaws 25 into the position shown in Figure 11, and it will then advance to bring the jaws into engagement with the newly formed link B,

Figure 12, whereupon the carrier 43 with the mandrel l2 and gripping lever 48, will retreat and thus release the link B which will be retained by the jaws 25 while the arbor 24 is retreated and partially rotated to bring the jaws into their first position as shown in Figure 7 in readiness for a repetition of the above described link forming process.

The link closers 73, 74-, are preferably set at angle so that in their inward travel they will not drag along the closing ends of a link. In other words, their angular path of travel is such that they do not shift their point of contact with the open ends 0, 6.7., during the operation of closing the same. and thereby avoid indenting or otherwise defacing the link.

Having thus described my inventionwhat I claim as new and novel 1s:-

1. In a wire chain making machine of the character described comprising a bed, a reciprocating mandrel carrier, a link forming mandrel mounted therein, a wire gripping lever pivoted to the carrier, operative means connected with the lever and carrier whereby the lever is moved away from the mandrel when the carrier is retreating, and brought into close relation with the mandrel to hold a section of wire thereagainst during the link forming operation.

2. A wire chain making machine of the character described, comprising a reciprocating carrier, a link forming mandrel mounted therein, a wire gripping lever pivoted to the carrier, means whereby said lever is actuated toward the mandrel when the same is advanced, and from said mandrel when it is retreated, initial wire bending tools, a reciprocating support upon which said tools are mounted, and means whereby said support is actuated, to and from the mandrel.

A wire chain making machine of the character described, comprising a mandrel the wire against about which links are formed, a reciprocating carrier for the mandrel, a wire gripper pivoted to the carrier and means for antomatically actuating the same toward the mandrel when the same is advanced and from the mandrel when saidmandrel is retreated, initial bending tools adapted to sever a section of wire and partially form it into a link about the advanced mandrel, an arbor, jaws carried thereby, means for reciprocating said arbor to and from the mandrel, and means for oscillating thearbor when withdrawn from the mandrel, said jaws adapted to hold a previously formed link against the mandrel, angularly arranged link closers, reciprocating means therefor, said link closers adapted to engage the free ends of the partially formed link and close said ends to form a link within the previously formed link held by the jaws.

4:. A wire chain making machine of the character described comprising an automatically operated reciprocating carrier, 21. mandrel, about which links are adapted to be formed, mounted in the carrier, a wire gripper pivoted to the carrier, and independent means for automatically actuating said wire gripper to and from the mandrel.

5. A wire chain making machine of the character described, comprising link bending tools. a carrier, a link forming mandrel carried thereby, a wire gripper pivoted to the carrier, means for advancing and retreating the carrier to and from the link bending tools, and means for actuating the wire gripper toward the mandrel when the carrier is in its advanced position, and away from the mandrel when the carrier is in its retreated position.

6. A wire chain making machine, comprising a reciprocating carrier, a mandrelmounted therein, a wire gripper pivoted to the carrier, initial link bending tools, an arbor, link holding jaws mounted therein, angularly disposed link closers. means for advancing the gripper'to hold a section of one side of the mandrel, means for advancing the arbor with a previously formed link within the aws and placing said link against the opposite side of the mandrel, means for advancing the bending tools to sever section. of wire and U-shape it about the mandrel, means for advancing the link closers to, close a link within the previously formed link, said arbor retreated after the formation of a link, neans for partially rotating the arbor, said arbor again advanced to embrace the newly formed link and again retreat and rotate into its normal position preparatory to the formation of additional links.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDREW BERG. 

